


I love, and I know now why

by philindas



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, timebaby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-15
Updated: 2013-06-15
Packaged: 2017-12-15 00:36:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/843271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philindas/pseuds/philindas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just as he was bending to take off his daughter’s sandals, there was a sound from the console room, and he frowned. Straightening, he headed towards the door, peeking his head out. At the sound of footsteps, he asked Astra to stay put and stepped out, shutting the door behind him and knowing the TARDIS would keep Astra safe at all costs- she had a soft spot for the little girl, just like she did for River.</p><p>“Who’s there?” he called, heading towards the console room, a golf club he’d found in the hallway in his hands.</p><p>“Sweetie?”</p><p>Shoulders slumping in relief, the Doctor dropped the golf club and stepped into the console room, a grin on his lips.</p><p>“What, didn’t even trust me for ten minutes-“</p><p>He stopped his words the moment he saw River; this was not the River he had left not long ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I love, and I know now why

**Author's Note:**

> My contribution to the River/Eleven fluffathon, set in the timebaby universe I created. For Pam :)

He’d taken Astra for the day because River had some important grading to do, and their three year old daughter was being particularly rambunctious. The blonde little girl had launched herself at him as soon as the TARDIS doors had opened; River had look both relieved at his appearance and stressed about her work; he told her he was just taking Astra into the time vortex and would return in a few hours when her work was done with a daughter he promised would be calmer than the one currently wiggling from his arms and racing towards the console.

After depositing a swift kiss to his wife’s cheek and shooing her back towards the cottage, he shut the doors and moved quietly towards the console, mouth curled into a grin at the sight of Astra standing by the console, hands pressed against it and babbling happily. Praying his limbs wouldn’t give him away, he crept up to his daughter, scooping her up from behind and raining kisses over her face, causing giggles to spill from her mouth.

There were few sounds he enjoyed more than his daughter’s laugh, and he was grinning by the time he stopped, Astra breathless in his arms and her cheeks flushed pink.

“What shall we do today, Astra Song?” the Doctor asked, bumping noses with her before setting her on the console, hands holding her waist lightly. “There’s no bossy Mummy here today to stop us. We could eat jammie dodgers in bed or slide in our socks or eat ice cream for dinner if we wanted.”

Astra tapped her chin with her finger, giving a soft hum under her breath, blonde pigtails bouncing.

“Socks!” she shouted, grinning up at him, hazel eyes bright as she clapped her hands. The Doctor beamed back, scooping her back up and heading towards the room that was Astra’s whenever she stayed. River had put her in sandals as it was warm by the cottage, so once there, he deposited her on her bed and rifled through a drawer, pulling out a pair of TARDIS blue socks.

Just as he was bending to take off his daughter’s sandals, there was a sound from the console room, and he frowned. Straightening, he headed towards the door, peeking his head out. At the sound of footsteps, he asked Astra to stay put and stepped out, shutting the door behind him and knowing the TARDIS would keep Astra safe at all costs- she had a soft spot for the little girl, just like she did for River.

“Who’s there?” he called, heading towards the console room, a golf club he’d found in the hallway in his hands.

“Sweetie?”

Shoulders slumping in relief, the Doctor dropped the golf club and stepped into the console room, a grin on his lips.

“What, didn’t even trust me for ten minutes-“

He stopped his words the moment he saw River; this was not the River he had left not long ago. This was a young River; she most likely didn’t even know who Astra was yet. From her clothing, it looked like she was still in Stormcage, and while he was happy to see her, it meant keeping Astra a secret to her.

“What was that, Doctor?” River asked, resting against the console and running a hand through her hair, smoke from her vortex manipulator disappearing in the air.

“Ah- nothing, dear,” he replied, shaking his head slightly. “Breaking out of Stormcage again, are we?”

“The guards are being ever-so boring,” she complained, lips pushed out in a pout, advancing towards him, hands pressing into his chest. His lips curled up into a smirk as he rolled his eyes, shaking his head affectionately at River as she draped her arms around his neck and pressed her hips into his.

He was about to say something witty when he heard the slide of cotton on metal, and his eyes widened. His arms flailed as he scooped up River’s vortex manipulator from the console, shoving it into her hands and gesticulating wildly, panic bleeding through his movements.

“You have to go back River, I can’t take you anywhere today,” he said hurriedly, glancing over his shoulder down the hallway quickly, before turning back to River and practically entering the coordinates himself.

“Got another girl on board, Doctor?” River asked, a mixture of amusement, confusion, and a little bit of jealousy tingeing her features- oh, it truly was early days for her. “You were walking around with a golf club, sweetie- you can’t truly expect me to believe you were busy.”

“There are at least a dozen uses for a gold club I can’t believe you’d infer that I would lie to you about being busy,” the Doctor said, offended, and he opened his mouth again to continue when the tiny voice behind him stopped him.

“Daddy?”

He felt River freeze beside him, and he turned slowly, scooping up the cautious little girl and settling her in his arms, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head and turning back to River.

“River, this is-“

“Astra!” the toddler piped up, uncovering her mouth from her hands and straightening in her father’s arms slightly before sinking back down into the Doctor’s embrace, head tucked under his chin and fingers playing with his bowtie. River’s eyes remained wide, lips parted slightly in astonishment at the little girl curled up in his arms.

“Yes, this is Astra,” he repeated quietly, fondness in his tone as he deposited another kiss on the little girl’s head. River swallowed, one hand reaching out tentatively, stroking along the little girl’s back.

“Is this spoilers?” she asked, voice cracking slightly, and the Doctor smiled, adjusting Astra and offering her towards River, who visibly paled at the suggestion of holding the little girl.

“I couldn’t tell you if it was, now, could I?” he asked in return, and she swallowed again, throat moving and blonde curls bouncing. She looked, for the first time since she’d been on board, nervous and unsure of herself- an uncommon quality in River Song. “She’s a toddler, River- she only bites if something looks tasty.”

“This still seems like a pretty major spoiler,” River said under her breath as she carefully took Astra, who looked up at her with wide eyes, thumb in her mouth.

“Mummy’s word,” she said around the digit wedged between her teeth, reaching with one hand to wind it into the soft blonde curls before her. “Spoilers.”

River’s eyes widened again before softening, fingers brushing through the soft blonde ringlets of Astra’s pigtails and her lips curled into a half-smile as Astra babbled. Eventually, she even leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the little girl’s forehead, and the Doctor watched with a fond smile, leaning against the console.

When Astra’s blonde head began to bob sleepily, the Doctor took her back into his arms, knowing it was time to return to River and put her to bed. The River currently in the TARDIS watched him, teeth sunken into her bottom lip, wringing her hands as he parked the TARDIS, leaving her quickly so he could drop Astra off, kiss River goodbye, and return, almost-surprised to find her still there.

“I’d have thought you’d be gone,” he said quietly, taking the TARDIS into the vortex and leaning his elbows on the console, looking at her. She looked down at her feet, before looking up again, contemplating.

“She’s beautiful,” she said softly, fingers reaching out, gripping the console as if she needed the support to stay upright.

“She is amazing,” the Doctor replied, voice just as soft as he watched her, moving towards her slowly. River nodded, staring hard at the console, before looking up, meeting him with wet eyes.

“We make her, together, don’t we?” she asked, voice going hoarse, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. The Doctor reaches up, brushing away the teardrops gently, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

“Spoilers, dear,” he murmured, wrapping her into a hug that she returned easily, melting against him. “You’ll learn, soon enough. Just give it time.”

They stood that way for a few moments more, wrapped up together, before River stepped back and the Doctor cleared his throat, adjusting his coat.

“Where shall we go, Doctor Song? I hear there’s a tomb on Beta 9 that would strike your fancy,” he said, hands flying to knobs on the console, and he looked up to see River beaming, eyes bright.

“Sounds perfect sweetie,” she replied, moving opposite him the console, gripping her own levers.

“Geronimo!”


End file.
